A report from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Task Force has redefined the clinical guidelines for blood pressure for the US. They recommend start of treatment when BP reaches 130/80 mm Hg. That is a reduction from the old definition of 140/90, indicating that cardiac complications may occur at lower levels.
“When the systolic pressure (pressure in arteries when blood is actively pumped) increases above 120, the seriousness increases. It is an old established fact. The new guideline is just a reminder,” explains Dr K Kannan, President of the Cardiological Society of India: Chennai Chapter.
The new guidelines were developed with nine other health professional organisations and were written by a panel of 21 scientists and health experts, who reviewed more than 900 published studies. They concluded that early treatment would reduce the risk of death from stroke, heart disease, or other vascular diseases.
“Medication will be required only when the level goes above 140/90. For Stage I hypertension (130/80), medicines will be prescribed only if the person has already had a heart attack or stroke, or is at a high-risk age, or in the case of patients with diabetes. For others, lifestyle modifications are recommended,” says Dr Suman Bhandari, Cardiologist, Director and Head at Fortis Hospital, Noida.
The report says the new definition will result in nearly half of the US adult population (46%) having high blood pressure. However, the WHO guidelines still remain the same at 140/90. “More studies need to be carried out in the Indian context to arrive at a better conclusion. Till then we will stick to WHO guidelines,” explains Prof D Prabhakaran, Vice President, (Research and Policy) at Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi.